Brake-beam suspnesion.



C. .H. WILLIAMS.

BRAKE BEAM SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. :4. 1912.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I e. H. WILLIAMS. BRAKE BEAM SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.14,1917.

1,255,967, Patented Feb. 12, 1918,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

as ATN- re.

1: 'l LES HAINFS WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 CLIICAGORAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

BRAKE-BEAM SUSPENSION.

' Patented Feb.1l2,il91l&

To all whom it may concern; V

Be it known that 1, CHARLES HAINEs WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates residing at the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake-Beam Suspensions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates generally to the brake gear of railway trucks,and specifically to certain improvements in the manner of supporting thebrake beam for cooperation with the truck wheels in the normal brakingoperations. 7

The specific objects of the present improvements are, to provide anarrangement whereby a positive and definitely directed spring pressuremay be employed to efiect the desired release or throwing ofi of thebrakes from the wheels when the pressure is removed from the brakeoperating mechanism, and to afford at the same time the proper guide andsupport for the brake beam commonly called the third or fourth pointsupport.

Other objects will be obvious or pointed out hereinafter, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in WhlCh-.

Figure 1 represents a detail of truck equipment showing portionsembodying my invention in elevation and certain parts in verticalsection;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a detail of a modified form showing parts in elevation andvertical section;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are similar details showing respectively othermodified embodiments of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a top or lan view of the portions shown in Fig. i

Fig. 9 is a detail of still another modified embodiment showing parts inside elevation and vertical section.

As is well known in the art, the brakes in railway rolling stock arecustomarily set by mechanism operated by air pressure, and the removalor throwing off of'the brakes is designed to be accomplished by therelease spring forming a part of the air brake mechanism. The extent towhich the latter operation is accomplished, however, depends verylargely upon the condition of the equipment, and a circumstancefrequently encountered is a failure of the brakes to be completelyremoved from the wheels, thus increasing the train resistance and thewear on the equipment.

Various arrangements of springs in association with the brake beam havebeen made with the intention of throwing 01f the brakes by springpressure applied to the beam. With such arrangements a difficulty hasbeen encountered in maintaining the proper alinement and position of thebrake shoes while the movement of the brake beam, in the application ofthe brakes, is storing in the spring the energy which is intended,subsequently to release or throw ofi the brakes.

By the arrangements herein illustrated and about to be described, itrovide the necessary spring pressure for e ecting the complete releaseof the brakes, and at the same time afford the brake beam the properguidance and support to insure its proper ma nipulation and the properapplication of the shoes to the wheels.

Referring to the drawings in detail by means of the reference charactersapplied, let it be understood that the numeral 1 designates the springplank of the truck; 2 the compression member of the brake beam; 4t thetension member thereof; 5 the brake beam strut; and 6 the brake head,all of which parts may be arranged in the conventional fashion.

Afixed to the spring plank 1 so as to "extend transversely below thebrake beam,

is the supporting member 7, which may be in the form of a rigid barcarrying a re silient guiding member 7, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3and 9, a resilient member as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, or a rigidmember Without the resilient portion as illustrated in Figs. 4:, 5 and6. Suitable means for aflording a third point of support for the brakebeam is provided and comprises an arrangement such as the shoe 8illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive and 7 to 9 inclusive, which shoeis designed to cooperate with some portion of the supporting member 7 togive the brake beam the pro er support and guidance at the mansion side,

or said third point support may be in some other form such as the link 8illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, said link being attached to a truckportion at its upper end to provide the desired suspension and guidancefor the beam. In association. with the beam and the supporting member 7,I dispose a yielding pressure means it), the essential arrangement ofwhich that it be placed under compression or tension by the move ment ofthe brake beam in the operation of applying the brakes, that its line ofreaction be in such direction with reference to the brake beam as tourge the latter for the proper movement to release or throw off thebrakes from coperation with the wheels. A third essential in the arrangement of the yielding pressure means 10, is that it be so disposed as notto throw the beam out of proper alinement and elevation during theoperation of applying the brakes, which proper alinement and eleva tionit is the purpose of the third and fourth point supports to maintain.its cordingly, in the forms wherein the sliding third or fourth pointsupport is employed, such as is illustrated in Figs. 1 to l inclusiveand '2' to 9inclusive, it is desirable that the arrangement of theyielding pressure means 10 be such as to hold the shoes 8 in engagementwith the sloping guideway on the supporting member 7, and in the formsillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the brake beam has an oscillatorymovement, it is desirable that the yielding pressure means have theproper flexibility in a vertical direction to accommodate the risingmovement of the beam. Furthermore, it is of importance that the line ofreaction of the yielding pressure means 10 be in alinement transverselyof the beamv with the third or fourth point support. Consequently, tofulfil these requirements, I dispose the yielding pressure means 10inthe forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and 7 to 9 inclusive,on the line of movement followed by the forward or tension side of thebrake beam in the movement thereof during the application of the brakes,and so that the resultant of the moment of the brake beam in thisoperation and the reaction of the yielding pressure means,

intersects the path of travel of the supporting shoe 8. In the formillustrated in Fig. 5, the yielding pressure means 10 is given theproper vertical flexibility by a loose mounting on the supporting member7 through the guide rod 11 and slot 12, and

in the form illustrated in Fig. 6 by the length and convoluted form ofthe flat spring which comprises the yielding pressure means 10.

It will be observed that, while in the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6inclusive the improvement is disposed in cooperation nasaeev with athird point support, in the forms illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusiveit ranged in cooperation with a fourth point support.

It is believed that the operation of the de vice is obvious. Uponapplication of the brakes, energy is stored in the yielding pressuremeans 10 by movement of the beam, while the arrangement and rea of theyielding pressure means are such to permit the proper movement of thetension side of the beam, and in fact to contribute to the properguidance thereof by the third or fourth point supporting arrangement.Upon release of the brakes, the reaction. of the yielding pressure meansis exerted upon the brake beam in definite direction to give it positiveactuation and insure the release of the brakes and the removal of theshoes from the Wheels.

Obvious changes and modifications the embodiment of my invention may bemade other than those herein illustrated and de scribed, withoutdeparting from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: r

1. In a truck, a brake beam suspension including a supporting memberaiiixed to a truck portion, a third or fourth point support for guidingthe brake beam in operative movements thereof, and a yielding pressuremeans disposed in association with the brake beam and said supportingmember in the line of movement of the third or fourth point support toderive energy from the movement of the brake beam in the application ofthe brakes and to react upon the brake beam to effect the release of thebrakes when the operating pressure is removed. 7

2. In a brake beam suspension, the combination of a supporting membercarried by a portion of the truck in association with the brake beam, athird or fourth point supporting arrangement for guiding the brake beamin braking movements, and a yielding pressure means carried on thesupporting member and arranged for cooperation with the brake beamsubstantially in the line of operative movement thereof.

3. In a truck, the combination of a brake beam, a supporting membercarried by a portion of the truck and extending below the beam, a thirdor fourth point supporting device for guiding the beam in brakingmovements, and yielding pressure 'means carried by the supporting memberand ass@ ciated with the beam to exert pressure upon the same to releasethe brakes.

4:- In a truck, the combination of a brake beam supported foroscillatory movement, a supporting member carried by a truck portion andextending transversely below the beam, a portion connected with said supporting member for guiding the brake beam in braking movements, andyielding pressure 13 0 amper means carried by the supporting member andcooperating with the brake beam to urge the same to release the brakes.

5. In a truck, the combination of a brake beam a supporting membercarried by a truck portion in association with the beam, a portloncarried by said supporting member for cooperation with the beam to guidethe same for tilting movement in braking operations, and yieldingpressure means carried by the supporting member and associated with thebeam to maintain the same in cooperation with said guiding portion andto urge the beam to release the brakes.

6. In a truck, the combination of a brake beam, a supporting membercarried by a truck portion in association with the beam, a guidingportion on the supportin member for affording a third or fourt pointsupport for the beam, and yielding pressure means carried by thesupporting member and associated with the beam for efi'ectivecooperation therewith substantially on a line transversely of the beamwith the third or

